Fourth reminds Marines why they serve

Recruits taught to understand the ideals they are defending

A lieutenant briefs the squad during live fire training at the Basic Officer Course in Quantico, Va. New lieutenants in the Marine Corps undergo live fire training on the rifle range where they learn squad tactics.
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

A lieutenant briefs the squad during live fire training at the Basic Officer Course in Quantico, Va. New lieutenants in the Marine Corps undergo live fire training on the rifle range where they learn squad tactics.
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

“There is no tactical genius happening on this range. It is flat and straight ahead,” Barclay said. “Trying to figure themselves out, trying to talk to each other over wide areas, sweating, hearts beating, breathing hard — it turns out to be a little bit harder than what they thought.”

ATTACK

A squad of Marines is spread out in a line along the grassy ridge. 2nd Lt. Alexander Miyakawa is acting as an infantry squad leader.

Miyakawa gets a radio report. “I am going to sneak up to my hot position to see if I can get eyes on the enemy,” his commander says. Then Miyakawa hears a rattle of simulated gunfire and call of: “I need you to get these fires off of me!”

Miyakawa sends his squad rushing up a low ridge and down the other side. Thundering booms cut the humid air as they are hit with simulated mortar fire. Green target dummies pop up in the distance. The Marines open fire with their M-16 rifles, sending puffs of red dirt and the smell of gunfire into the air, and an explosive staccato echoing off the tall pines and leafy trees lining the range.

“Move your fire team up fast!” Miyakawa yells.

When the squad pauses on the downward slope, leaving themselves exposed to enemy fire, Johnson asks “What’s in front of you? ... What’s that berm going to do for you?”

The squad fights toward the cover of the berm, one fire team shooting as another bounds forward. The machine gunner on the right flank has a bolt jam. While he tries to clear it, a realistic combat scenario, 2nd Lt. Kerry Olinger keeps advancing toward the enemy, firing her rifle.

She flops belly down on the ridge, keeping her rifle aimed down range after she hears the call of "Cease-fire! Who needs ammo?"

PATRIOTS

Olinger, 22, gulps in heaving breaths that make her sweat-soaked uniform shirt rise and fall.

She lived in San Diego while her parents were stationed there until 2004. Olinger’s mother retired as a Navy captain. Her father was a Marine Cobra attack helicopter pilot.

Olinger wanted to be a Marine helicopter pilot too, but her eyesight is too poor. Regardless of her job, she could easily find herself in combat, she noted.

“I could be an adjutant and be attached to a convoy. And we could be ambushed,” she said. Here on the training range, the idea seems to exhilarate her.

“I really like being able to do stuff like this with live fire. All of us are really excited about it. No one else gets this opportunity to shoot down a range at targets, get full magazines and be told 'Go take this objective. It’s all on you guys, go do it!' You get dummy grenades. We’ve got machine guns and stuff...”

On the Fourth of July, Olinger usually watches the fireworks in Coronado with her family. This year she will be going with fellow Marine officers to see the fireworks show in Washington, D.C., if they can find a spot on the crowded mall.